Client numbers have been consistent at the North Bay Food Bank.
That’s according to Debbie Marson, Executive Director after a new report from Feed Ontario shows visits to food banks rose ten percent in Ontario during the first year of the pandemic.
That’s the biggest jump in more than a decade.
Locally, Marson says people they haven’t seen in a long time are now coming in while some regular clients may not be coming in.
“If you were to look at faces we haven’t seen in a while as a jump, there would be a jump. When you look at factual, consistent numbers, ‘Sally’ may not have used us for three months in a row, but ‘John’ may have started using us,” she says.
Excluding the three hours the Food Bank was open November 30th, Marson says hundreds of hampers have been provided this month alone.
“In those 51 hours we provided about 263 hampers which served 321 adults and 159 children,” she says.
As a thank you to the community for its support, the North Bay Food Bank is once again offering its Drive-By Santa Experience this Saturday.
“It started last year as a way to thank the community for their support over the year,” Marson says.”This year we’re bringing it back, they’re going to drive by and see the jolly old guy and there’s some treats along the way. If people want to donate, awesome, but our main focus is to put something out there to say thanks.”
The event goes from 10 am to 1 pm with vehicles driving south on Princess Street towards the Food Bank, at 1016 Fisher Street.
**With files from Norman Jack.
